What Korean spicy stew is made with kimchi, tofu, and pork?

Kimchi jjigae is the Korean spicy stew made with kimchi, tofu, and pork. It is one of Korea’s most familiar home-style dishes, combining fermented cabbage with meat, tofu, aromatics, and a savory broth. Depending on the recipe, anchovy stock, gochujang, or fermented soybean paste may deepen the flavor.

Cooks often prefer older, more fermented kimchi because its sharper acidity and stronger seasoning create a richer stew. Pork is common, but tuna, beef, chicken, or no meat at all can be used. Tofu, scallions, onions, and garlic are frequent additions, though ingredient combinations vary from household to household.

Kimchi jjigae is usually cooked and served extremely hot, often in a stone pot alongside rice and banchan. It is easy to confuse with sundubu jjigae, whose defining feature is soft silken tofu, or budae jjigae, the “army stew” associated with processed meats and postwar foodways. Kimchi remains the central ingredient that identifies kimchi jjigae.